In this article we learn how to manage manic episodes by BAILing out of mania.
It is far quicker to destroy than to create. Relationships, a home, a career, self-esteem and peace of mind take time and work to build. They can be damaged or destroyed in an instant. This is the danger of Manic Episodes to us living with bipolar. We become very impulsive, reactive, energetic, distracted, and wired. It may suddenly seem like a fantastic idea to ‘invest’ our life savings on a hunch, to quit our job to pursue a spontaneous dream, to stay up nights writing three novels, or to have a fling that we never considered.
Mania is a huge risk to us.
A manic episode is a big energetic wave that scoops us up and carries us on an exhilarating ride… Until it dumps us into the cold depths of rock bottom.
When mania ends we are faced with ‘waking up’ to deal with the fallout of our actions and decisions. It is when ‘waking up’ that people are incredibly vulnerable.
I remember ‘waking up’ to the fact that I had betrayed someone I loved. In a few hours I destroyed a relationship that had taken us years to build. Any trust in myself was gone. I no longer knew who I was or what I was capable of doing. It felt as if there was a secret person living inside of me of whom I had no measure or reckoning. It was terrifying, it was heart-breaking, and in the moment I felt like ending my world because I couldn’t control it.
Mania (and excited states of hypomania) can feel like heaps of fun until our loss of control becomes painfully obvious. Pinpointing where we lose control is often impossible, if we flirt with control we lose control. Hurting people we care about and destroying our hard-won progress is never worth the rush to destruction. This is why we need to have a good strategy to manage manic episodes, one that returns us to the Stable Zone quickly, and my strategy is to BAIL and BAIL early.
How to BAIL effectively and safely.
Brakes! Stop what you are doing, all of it, and realise that you are at high risk.
Abstain! Mania feeds on stimulation so it is time to cut the fuel to the fire.
Incubate! Go home and keep yourself company while the mania diminishes.
Limit communication! Don’t say something destructive in the moment, it can wait until your mood is less volatile. Communicate with yourself, your support network, and a medical professional if necessary.
When I BAIL I sometimes call it a ‘sit on my hands day’ because I literally avoid doing anything at all. I might read a book, or watch a movie, or clean the house, or play some music but I try my best to do as little as possible. I can actually feel the manic energy dissipate, my head clearing, and my mood relaxing. Knowing when to BAIL protects me from the worst symptoms of mania. If I can feel my mood and energy increasing too much I BAIL early, before mania hits. This takes far less energy than a hard BAIL (BAILing out from the peak of mania is more difficult) and it also means that the rhythm of my life isn’t disrupted. This is how I manage manic episodes.
Practicing to BAIL.
Things you can do to make your BAIL more effective for managing manic episodes.
- Know where you are in the Bipolar Cycle – this is the master skill.
- Identify high-risk situations and triggers to avoid if you are feeling manic e.g. partying, alcohol, certain people etc.
- Make a list of safe things you can do at home that keep you busy without providing triggers or stimulation.
- Talk with people close to you about your BAIL strategy so that they know what to expect.
- Realise that BAILing helps you in the long run. Taking a day off (or two or three) to defuse mania protects you and people close to you from destructive decisions or actions.
- Learn how to BAIL early. Prevention is better than a cure so be proactive! If you BAIL before mania hits then you can prevent the manic episode from even happening. Doing this consistently can help eliminate destructive manic episodes from your life.
I hope this article is useful to you, thank you for reading it! I believe that these articles will help to educate people with bipolar and give them skills for a future of mental wellness, not mental illness. Please consider Supporting KindBipolar and joining our email list (we never send spam). Be kind to yourself and have a great day.
